Dr. Roger B. Daniels
March 24, 1933 – December 7, 2025
Philadelphia, PA
With deep sorrow and profound respect, the family of Dr. Roger B. Daniels announces his peaceful passing on December 7, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 92 surrounded by the love of family and the gratitude of a community he served for decades.
Born in 1933, Dr. Daniels dedicated his life to the practice of medicine, embodying compassion, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to patient care. A distinguished internist, he brought healing to generations of patients across the Philadelphia area, while earning the deep respect of colleagues, students, and the broader community. Known for his gentle demeanor, keen insight, and unwavering integrity, Dr. Daniels saw medicine as not just a profession but a sacred trust—an opportunity to touch lives in body, mind, and spirit.
After completing his degrees at Yale University and University of Pennsylvania and his medical training with distinction, including internship, residency, and fellowship in Boston, Dr. Daniels served his country with honor before returning to a lifetime of clinical practice and teaching in Philadelphia. His career spanned more than four decades, during which he upheld the highest standards of care and mentorship. He practiced at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for over two decades and served patients with empathy, patience, and respect.Â
Dr. Daniels was more than a physician—he was a teacher at heart. His passion for medical education inspired countless students and residents, who remembered him not only for his clinical acumen but for his thoughtful explanations, gentle encouragement, and unwavering belief in the potential of every learner. So admired was he that colleagues and former patients established an associate deanship in professionalism in his name at Jefferson, a testament to the lasting influence of his character and commitment.
Throughout his career, Dr. Daniels was frequently recognized as one of the leading physicians in his field and remained active in medical associations that upheld excellence in practice and professional ethics. His legacy endures in the lives he touched, the colleagues he inspired, and the standards of compassionate care he championed.
Beyond his professional achievements, Roger was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend. Known for his humility, warm humor, and unwavering kindness, he brought comfort not only to patients but to all who knew him well. His was a life lived in service—marked by integrity, generosity, and deep humanity.
Dr. Daniels is survived by his beloved family, including children, grandchildren, and a wide circle of friends and colleagues whose lives he enriched with his presence, wisdom, and care.
A memorial service celebrating Dr. Daniels’s remarkable life and legacy will be held January 8, 2026 at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley PA. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to support medical education and patient care programs that reflect the spirit of service that defined his life.
Though he has passed from our sight, Dr. Roger B. Daniels’s legacy of compassion, excellence, and humanity will continue to inspire all who were touched by his life.
Dr. Roger B. Daniels
2013 Achievement Award in Medicine Honoree
Roger B. Daniels, MD, considers his calling as a physician a sacred trust. He knows this sentiment sounds corny, but he doesn’t care — he feels it in his heart. “To be intimately involved in the lives of people, to be trusted and to have the opportunity to influence so many aspects of their lives — I don’t know how a person can ask for more.”
Daniels’ attitude, his skill and his insistence on responding not only to his patients’ physical problems but also to their emotional and personal needs has made him one of the most respected and beloved doctors in the Philadelphia area for almost four decades.
Daniels grew up in a New York family of modest means where education was paramount. He obtained scholarships to Yale University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree in 1960.
After an internship, residency and a fellowship in Boston, Daniels entered the Army and served as captain with the 44th MASH Unit in Korea and then followed his overseas service with a year at Valley Forge General Hospital. He started his civilian career at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia and moved across town two years later, affiliating with Pennsylvania Hospital. The “persuasiveness” of Joseph S. Gonnella, MD, dean of Jefferson Medical College at the time and now director of Jefferson’s Asano-Gonnella Center for Research in Medical Education & Health Care, brought Daniels to Jefferson in 1997.
The love of knowledge and learning that Daniels developed as a boy expanded into a passion for medicine with fulfillment in teaching and practice. He finds joy in watching students and residents absorb information and gets deep satisfaction in seeing the comfort that his detailed explanations bring patients.
Daniels routinely is listed in the Best Doctors in America and is a fellow in the American College of Physicians. In 2008, the organization honored him with the Pennsylvania Clinical Practice Award. The small plaque that hangs in his office cites his service to his patients, community and profession. “I can imagine no greater honor,” he said. So admired is Daniels that in 2011, a group of his colleagues and patients at Jefferson joined together to establish an associate deanship in professionalism in his name.
Daniels likes to tell a story about eating lunch with two prominent surgeons complaining about their income. One surgeon looked at the other and remarked that Daniels would probably work for nothing, and everyone laughed. “But you know what? I probably would,” he said.